2004 Testimonials

These are statements written by adopted families about their experience of participating in the Local Foods Connection programs. All statements are anonymous on this web page; see back issues of newsletters for original publication.

1. I am writing this as part of the requirements for receiving food from the Local Foods Connection but also I want to let you and the others in your organization how great I feel your program is. I am a single mother with four children. It is hard for me to purchase food for my family which I feel that they need to be healthy in their growing years. Since I get paid once per month I pay the bills first and then what is left over goes for the basic necessities, medications, bus money to get them to school, lunch money, gas for the car, etc and then groceries. I was sponsored by the Big Brother Big Sister organization to receive food this spring, summer and fall, along with a turkey at Thanksgiving. The food I received was grown organically on a farm near Brighton. I would pick the box of food up at a designated drop off location once a week. The food was fresh and there was always a sheet that told what was in the box, hints on preparation, and recipes. I must say my children and I could not wait to see what we would get in the box. We would pick up our yummy items on Tuesdays and as I stood at the kitchen sink going through the box, the kids (sometimes standing beside me) would hear me say "Wow, look at this" in utter amazement. Some of the lettuce varieties and other vegetables I had never heard of. As a parent, I want my kids to get plenty of vegetables and there were a wide range of them. I can't even begin to name all the various kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Every once-in-a-while when the kids had not seen one of these vegetables before, such as some of the tomatoes varieties, they would look at it quizzically wondering if they should try it. I have always been a strong believer that my children should try new foods and if they don't like it I do not force them to eat it but its amazing to me that children have perception about what, lets say, a tomato should look like, and if it doesn't fit that "look" they think something is wrong with it. My children would taste these different varieties and as I looked in anticipation would tell me how good it was and then want more. It was a wonderful experience for the children and me to be able to eat this wonderful organic food. I worry about what preservatives the food that is not organic has in it. I feel that there is a lot more cancer now than when I was growing up. Maybe it's because the disease wasn't always diagnosed or because it wasn't talked about as readily but I want to do what I can to keep my children healthy and teach them about organic foods so that when they are the consumers of this produce they are as concerned about their own children's health as I am about theirs. I feel at the age that my children are the more they know now will benefit them in the future. I also feel that cancer could be from the preservatives that are used now in vegetable growing.
   
   We went to an organic farm this summer. The children loved it. They got to see the animals and got to run around the farm. I grew up on a farm so I know what its like to be out in the country where life is so different than living in the city. I remember how the first spring rain smelled and watching the flowers grow, the moonlit nights were so clear and the stars were so brilliant. Not so in the city where the street lights are on and you hear the bustle of the traffic and the sirens. Farm life is calming although its lots of work and struggling. I got to go on a tour of the farm and see the vegetables that were being grown. I saw in amazement how a woman, with help from a lot of volunteers, has kept the farm going with the help of her four sons. How she spends so many hours working to keep the bugs from taking over and experimenting with new varieties of vegetables and how you have to improvise when there is too much rain, not enough rain, etc. She was an amazing woman. We were invited to a party and shared a potluck meal with them. I felt so calm while I was there. With raising four kids alone there is very seldom a dull moment so it was a wonderful experience being back on a farm again. I miss farm life although I never got to actually help while living there. I was in grade school when we moved into a town of 5,000. Even though it was a small town it was still very hard to get used to not living on the farm. I feel that organic farmers should be especially recognized for their efforts to keep us healthy.
   
   
2. My family and I were part of the Local Foods Connection. I felt it to be a unique experience because every week we experienced different vegetables in our box. My children were as excited as I was to open the box to see what was inside. We enjoyed the squash and the many menus that came along with the box. My favorite was the round yellow cucumber, we ate those like apples, no need for a salad. It was a great experience and I'm glad to say that I was a part of it. My family enjoyed new vegetables to eat with our meals. A special thank you to the farmers for all their time and effort. We really appreciate it. The turkey was delicious!